System of actua ting mechanism



( No Model.) J. H. DIXON.

SYSTEM OF AGTUATING MECHANISM.

No. 432,158. Patented July 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT GEFICE.

JOHN II. DIXON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM OF ACTUA TING MECHANISM.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,158, dated July15, 1890.

Application filed March 1, 1890. serial No. 342,288, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. DIXON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Systems of Actuating Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, in its broadest sense, to a system of graduatedweights and lever or analogous mechanism, involving, generically stated,a primary weight of comparatively little gravity sustained by a readilyremovable support and a weight of greater gravity, supported by a leveror the like, so arranged with reference to the primary weight as to bedisplaced by the release of the latter from its support from its holdingeffect upon the weight of greater gravity, which latter is thuspermitted by falling to actuate a desired form of mechanism for acertain purpose, such as a locking-bolt of a door for withdrawing it, analarm, or the like. while, as thus outlined, I intend to be understoodas claiming my improved apparatus as an actuating means for all purposesto which it is applicable, for thesake of brevity and convenience indescribing my improvement I confine its detailed description to its oneuse of automatically actuating a fire-alarm. In this last-namedparticular connection my in vention relates to an improvement inmechanism for automatically producing an alarm in case of fire, or foractuating other mechanism in that event, and which is caused to operateby the ett'ect of heat above a predetermined temperature; andmy objectis to provide improved mechanism for that purpose of a mechanicalnature, as distinguished from the electrical appliances hithertocommonly employed, which shall be of simple and economical construction,and thoroughly reliable and effective in its operation.

The drawing is a diagram illustrative of my improvement, adaptedespecially to the purpose of fire-alarm-actuating mechanism, and isshown in somewhat extended arrange ment for purposes of illustration.

The primary weight A is normally sustained by a medium B ofreadily-fusible materialsuch as wax-and is located where its sustainingmedium will be most effectively exposed to the influence of the heat inthe event of a fire. The weightA may be supported in any desired placein a building, and if upon a wall it may for safety be held againstlateral. movement by guides, such as the staples i. The fusibleretaining medium may comprise a short piece of the substance of which itis composed, held by a bracket .9 or other suitable means,in a manner toextend, as shown, into a recess 7' in the weight or against its lowerend.

A is a weight mounted in a guide or guides q and normally sustained by apivotally'supported lever O.

The mechanism thus far described affords my improvement in its simplestform, since, by releasing the primary weight A and cansing it to fallupon the arm r of the lever C or to pull against the arm n by beingconnected therewith through the medium of awire, cord, or the like 23,the lever will be withdrawn from sustaining the weight A, permitting thelatter to fall and sound an alarm suitably connected with it. Myimprovement is more especially designed, however, to involve a moreextended system of the weights sustained by the levers and of increasinggravity, and may include any desired number thereof. Accordingly Iprovide a weight A of greater gravity than the weight A, mounted Slml'larly to the latter and sustained in the same way by a lever D, whichextends with its long arm beneath the weight A. The final weight A is ofgreater gravity than the preceding weight, and is mounted and sustainedin the same manner as described, the long arm of the lever D, whichsupports it, extending beneath such preceding weight, shown as theweight A In practice a number of the weights A may be distributed withtheir sustaining means B in different parts or rooms of a building, andthe series of weights A, A and A may be located in any desired place;also, in or adjacent to the building. Each weight A maybe secured to theend of a wire, cord, or the like 1.), connecting it with the arm n ofthe lever C. The final weight A may be attached to a wire, cord, or thelike 0, through the medium of which a bell or other alarm may beactuated when the weight is permitted to drop; or, as in cities wherefire-alarm-telegraph systems are in vogue, the wire or cord 0 may extendto an alarm-box to turn in an alarm by drawing upon a lever whichactuates the alarm on the release of the weight.

In operation, when any one of the weights A is freed from its fusibleretaining medium, it will drop, and the-strain thus exerted upon thewire or other flexible medium 19 will operate to swing the lever O andcause it to release the weight A, which drops upon the lever D, causingthe latter to release the weight A which in turn drops upon the lever Dand releases the weight A the latter as it descends actuating the alarm.In this manner the release of a weight A, of comparatively littlegravity, and capable of being supported by a fusible sustaining mediumsusceptible of being fused almost instantaneously when exposed to heatabove a certain temperature, may be made to release, indirectly, aweight of a gravity sufficient to actuate mechanism offeringcomparatively great resistance, and while the final weight may be poisedupon a lever with such nicety as to be released directly by the slightstrain or pressure which one of the primary weights is capable ofexerting upon the long arm of the lever I prefer, for the sake of safetyand effectiveness, to employ the extended series of weights sustained bylevers and of increasing gravity, as shown, whereby the pressure orimpact exerted successively by the releasing-weights when freed fromtheir supports will be ample to overcome the resistance of the leversagainst which they act.

As before suggested, there are nu merons connections in which myimproved system of actuating mechanism may be advantageously applied,among others to that of drawing the bolt of a door or the like, as inpublic halls, whereby, in case of alarm of tire or similar emergency,the doors and other means of exit may be quickly unfastened withoutdifficulty. If desired, when the mechanism is used in the latter orsimilar connections, handles may be substituted upon the ends of thewires or cords p in place of the initial weights A and their fusiblesupports, and so located as to be readily accessible in case ofnecessity.

WVhile I prefer, for the sake of simplicity and economy, to employ thelevers described, any other readily displaceable or removable supportingmeans of desired construction may be employed in their stead and wouldbe the equivalent thereof.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire by Letters Patent, is

1. In an actuating mechanism, substantially for the purposes set forth,the combination of to secure a weight sustained against dropping by a,

2. In an actuatin mechanism, substantially for the purposes set forth,the combination of a weight, a pivotal lever normally sustaining thesaid weight, and a weight of lesser gravity normally sustained by areadily-displaceable support and arranged with reference to the lever toactuate it when the lesser weight is released to release the heavierweight, and through the latter operate the alarm or other mechanism,substantially as described.

3. In an actuating mechanism, substantially for the purposes set forth,the combination of a weight, a pivotal lever normally sustaining thesaid weight, a weight of lesser gravity arranged with reference to thesaid lever to actuate it when the lesser weight, is released to releasethe heavier weight and through the latter operate the alarm or othermechanism, a pivotal lever normally sustaining the lesser weight, andmeans, as the wire orcord 19, connected with the supporting-lever of thelesser weight and extending to the point of opera tion, whereby thelatter lever may be actuated to release the lesser weight, substantiallyas described.

4. In a system of actuating mechanism, sub stantially for the purposesset forth, the com bination of three or more weights of differentgravities in graduated series mounted upon readily-displaceable supportsand so arranged with reference to each other that the weight of leastgravity will operate when released from its support to displace thesupport of the next Weight in the series, and so on to the end of theseries, the final or heaviest weight being connected with the alarm orother mechanism to operate the latter when released from its support,substantially as described.

5. Inasystem of actuating mechanism, substantially for the purposes setforth, the combination of three or more weights of different gravitiesin graduated series mounted upon "readily-displaceable supports and soarranged with reference to eachother that the initial weight of leastgravity will operate when released from its support to displace thesupport of the next weight in the series, and so on to the end of theseries, the final or heaviest weight being connected with the alarm orother mechanism to operate the latter when released from its support,and a wire or cord 19, connected with the displaceable support of theinitial weight and extending to the place of operation, substantially asdescribed.

6. A system of mechanism for automatically actuating a fire-alarm orother mechanism in the event of a fire, having a weight normallysustained by a readily-displaceable support and arranged with relationto the alarm or other mechanism to actuate it in falling, a primaryweight of lesser gravity arranged with relation to the support of theheavier weight to displace in falling the said support, and areadily-fusible support for the primary weight in an exposed position tobe melted by the heat of the fire, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

than the second weight arranged with relation to the support of thesecond weight to displace the latter in falling, and a readilyfusible,support for the primary weight in an exposed position to be melted bythe heat of the fire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN H. DIXON.

In presence of J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. FROST.

